Endoscopic snare

Abstract

An endoscopic snare device ( 10, 100, 100 ′) includes a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires ( 12, 14 ) with bow shaped memory, a mesh ( 20 ) attached to mid-portions ( 16, 18 ) and distal portions ( 22, 24 ) of the snare wires ( 12, 14 ) for a mesh length (A) that is less than the snare length (L), a bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire ( 116 ) extending in a plane out of the plane of the snare wires ( 12, 14 ), and a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, incising wires ( 112, 114 ) side by side with the snare wires ( 12, 14 ). The support wire ( 116 ) is electrically insulated. A mouth cord or wire ( 46 ) extends from one snare wire ( 12 ), through the support wire ( 116 ), and to the other snare wire ( 14 ).

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. Endoscopic snare apparatus, comprising:
 a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires with bow shaped memory fastened together at a proximal end, said snare wires extending longitudinally in radially flared relation to each other to a distal end at a snare length L from the proximal end; 
 a mouth cord extending from a non-slip attachment to a mid-portion of one of the snare wires to a-non-slip attachment to the other one of the snare wires; and 
 a mesh attached to mid-portions and distal portions of the snare wires for a mesh length A that is less than the snare length L, and wherein a proximal marginal edge portion of the mesh is attached to the mouth cord. 
 
     
     
       2. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh length A is in a range of one-fourth to three-fourths of the snare length L. 
     
     
       3. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires define a snare wire plane, and wherein the endoscopic snare apparatus includes a bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire that extends out of the snare wire plane. 
     
     
       4. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the support wire extends out of the snare wire plane in a support wire plane that is substantially perpendicular to the snare wire plane. 
     
     
       5. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the mouth cord is attached in a non-slip matter to the stranded support wire. 
     
     
       6. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire is insulated electrically. 
     
     
       7. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire is stranded and coated in electrical insulation. 
     
     
       8. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the mouth cord extends through the stranded support wire. 
     
     
       9. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the mesh extends over the support wire. 
     
     
       10. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the mesh is attached to the support wire. 
     
     
       11. Endoscopic snare apparatus, comprising:
 a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires with bow shaped memory fastened together at a proximal end, said snare wires extending longitudinally in radially flared relation to each other to a distal end at a snare length L from the proximal end; 
 a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, incising wires with bow shaped memory fastened together positioned side by side with the pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires, respectively, said incising wires each having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal ends of the incising wires are attached together with the distal ends of the snare wires and the proximal ends of the incising wires are attached together with the proximal ends of the snare wires; and 
 a mesh attached to mid-portions and distal portions of the snare wires for a mesh length A that is less than the snare length L from the proximal end. 
 
     
     
       12. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein mid-portions of the incising wires are attached to respective mid-portions of the snare wires. 
     
     
       13. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires define a snare wire plane, and wherein the endoscopic snare apparatus includes a bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire that extends out of the snare wire plane. 
     
     
       14. The endoscopic snare apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the support wire extends out of the snare wire plane in a support wire plane that is substantially perpendicular to the snare wire plane. 
     
     
       15. Endoscopic snare apparatus, comprising:
 a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires with bow shaped memory fastened together at a proximal end, said snare wires extending longitudinally in radially flared relation to each other to a distal end at a snare length L from the proximal end in a manner that defines a snare wire plane between the pair of bowed snare wires, the pair of snare wires having resilient bias to separate mid-portions of the snare wires a width W away from each other; and 
 a mesh attached in a non-slip manner to mid-portions and distal portions of the snare wires for a mesh length A that is less than the snare length L such that a proximal marginal edge portion of the mesh extends from a non-slip attachment to the mid-portion of one of the pair of snare wires to a non-slip attachment to the mid-portion of the other one of the pair of snare wires, the proximal marginal edge portion being longer than the width W between the mid-portions of the bowed snare wires, whereby the bowed snare wires and mesh together form a basket partially enclosing an interior space over the snare wire plane with an unobstructed opening in the snare wire plane between the snare wires to the interior space and no obstruction below the opening, and with the proximal marginal edge portion of the mesh forming a basket mouth over the snare wire plane. 
 
     
     
       16. Endoscopic snare apparatus, comprising:
 a pair of bowed, resiliently deformable, snare wires with bow shaped memory fastened together at a proximal end, said snare wires extending longitudinally in radially flared relation to each other to a distal end at a snare length L from the proximal end in a manner that defines a snare wire plane between the pair of bowed snare wires; 
 a bowed, resiliently deformable, support wire that is fastened together with the snare wires at the proximal end and extends out of, and over, the snare wire plane and then converges together with the snare wires at the distal end; and 
 a mesh attached to mid-portions and distal portions of the snare wires for a mesh length A that is less than the snare length L, and wherein the mesh extends from the snare wires over the snare wire plane and is fastened in a non-slip manner to the support wire; whereby the snare wires, support wire, and mesh together form a basket partially enclosing an interior space between the snare wire plane and the support wire with an unobstructed opening to the interior space in the snare wire plane between the snare wires and no obstruction below the opening, and with a proximal marginal edge portion of the mesh forming a basket mouth over the snare wire plane.